Time

    Time stops for no one.  No, it doesn't matter how much you'd like it to stay summertime.  Yes, that's me talking.. even if I'm the only one out there who likes the heat.  I dread the cold and the fall allergies that will soon be on their way.  I do like to change my room decor with the seasons so I guess overall change is inevitable.
    Are we ever satisfied with time?  When we're young, we'd like to be two years older.  When we're old, we'd like to be twenty years younger.  Some moments we'd like to freeze in time and other moments we focus on 'this too shall pass.'

   Ecclesiastes 3;1-8
   ''There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

God Will Never Say

10 Things God Will Never Say

1. Oops.
2. What have I done?
3. How did I let that happen?
4. I made a mistake.
5. It was an accident.
6. I don't know what to do.
7. I'm afraid of what will happen now.
8. I can do better than this.
9. What do YOU think I should do?
10. Why didn't I think of that?


    I'm borrowing this list from a book but I don't like to recommend a book unless I've read it myself so we're just going to stick with the list here for now.
    God will never say the things on the list but I think we have probably all said every one of them at some point.  It's a reminder of Who does know all and who doesn't.  There is NOTHING God doesn't know of the past, present or future.  He needs no advisor or consultant.  He makes no mishaps but in everything there is purpose.
   'A few traits about ‎God to ponder: God is sovereign, ‎holy, omniscient, & immutable. These traits are perfectly balanced by His goodness, ‎grace, ‎mercy, & good will, respectively.'
   Why do we trust in ourselves so much, when we can see our faults daily?  I don't think any of us like to be around 'know it all' people but yet sometimes we are all guilty of turning a deaf ear to advice.
   I'm glad there is One who is trustworthy, knows all and always available for me to turn to.

Unity

    I was reading today about the importance of unity in the church and it was quite convicting.  Romans 14;19  ''Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.''

    Four things happen when we criticize another believer....
     1.  We lose fellowship with God
     2.  We expose our own pride and insecurity
     3.  We set ourselves up to be judged by God
     4.  We harm the fellowship of the church

    Are you feeling the sting too?  'We must remember that the church is made up of real sinners, including ourselves.'  We all have our own ideas of what's standard but they are all with fault. Christ is our only standard to compare with and strive to be like.  1 Corinthians 1;10  ''I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.''
    May we encourage more and criticize less.  May we think less of ourselves and more for the body of Christ.  UNITY.... You n I together, yes?

It's a God Thing

     I think if you look closely enough, you can always find 'a God thing' on any trip to Walmart.  Who's with me on that theory?  Yesterday, Karla and I were headed to Walmart when we got behind the garbage truck on my street.  Well it was going up the hill at a snail's pace of 5mph when it decided to quit and die.  We were the first car behind it and a string of cars following behind us.  We could see nothing from either side.  Do we go blindly?  Every impatient car behind us passed us so we jumped in to be the caboose to the train of passing cars.  'It's a God thing' that the oncoming traffic was not there while we were all passing.
    To broaden the scope of this story.......   Sometimes in life you have to take a leap of faith or you will be paralyzed in where you are in life.  Whether it is fear or doubt in us, we must make decisions and act on them after praying for wisdom.  Take the leap and build your wings on the way down.
   The caption below illustrates what we do when we put off our old self and become a new creation in Christ.  Are you ready to make the jump?

Reminder

    Sometimes we just have to write stuff down on a list to remember what we need.  Who hasn't gone to the store to get three things, come home with ten things, but forgot one of the three you really needed?  We need reminders because we often get distracted and off focus.
    The caption above shows us 5 ways to daily hit the ground running with confidence.  God should always be first and foremost.  'A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.'  Your faith is worth more than silver or gold, invest it wisely in God above.  Love conquers all, so may the force of it be with you.  Prayer..... never underestimate it's power.
    We remember what is important to us but sometimes a reminder does us some good.  May you take these reminders with you daily.

Tomatoes

    One of the great things of summertime is homegrown tomatoes.  Yum, I love them sliced, diced and juiced.  Are they a fruit or a vegetable?  Who cares.. it's just juicy goodness from God's garden.
     Tomatoes have a special spot of their own in my memory bank.  When I was a kid, I sold tomatoes and a few other veggies down by the road in front of our house.  It was a pretty sweet business deal.  My parents grew the tomatoes, picked them, and hauled them to the road in a wheelbarrow.  Then I set them on display on my table and weighed and sold them by the pound. I borrowed my uncle's scales from across the street.  Yes, I got to keep all the money.  Kids don't know what 'overhead costs' are.. lol.  It was good practice with currency, customer service and perseverance in the heat.
      Proverbs 16;11  ''Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.''   Proverbs 11;1  ''The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.''
    May we always get what we pay for and not be fools for Satan's cheating schemes.

Puddles

What does this caption mean to you?  I love this picture but the quote has me thinking. I came up with three thoughts.

Do you survive the storms of life or remain in the puddles after they're over?  What does that mean?  We are supposed to learn from our trials but sometimes we just hang on to issues that the whole storm was about.  Sometimes we need to step away from the puddle and move on.

or..

Do you know that God will finish the good work He started in you.  We may feel as tho we just survived a testing of some sort and then we are hit with another one.  As the frog here shields himself from the majority of the rain, he will not remain completely dry.  We too have to shield ourselves with the armor of God but we will be hit and tested by the evil of the world.

or..

After the rain comes the rainbow.  Our storms are often showered by blessings.  We must realize that our storms reach beyond us and has an effect on others as well.  There is a purpose to the storm and the puddles of life.

Prayer

    Sometimes when I hear others pray out loud so eloquently, I think I wish my prayers sounded that good.  That's really not the point of prayer tho but more importantly for it to be sincere and from the heart.  Isaiah 29; 13  ''“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.''   God desires expressions of devotion from the heart and hates empty ritual.
   Our prayers must be genuine conversations with God.  Even when we don't have the words to express ourselves, He hears the cries of our hearts.  Isn't it good that we can come to our Father freely and at anytime for confession or just to talk?
   Psalm 17;6  ''I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.''
   'Prayer is trading our worries for His wisdom, our pain for His peace and our confusion for His confidence.'

The Bigger Picture

    Crash, Boom, Bam.... is that how your day felt?  Sometimes life does feel like the school of hard knocks, doesn't it?  'At the end of the day, you can focus on what's tearing you apart or what's holding you together.'  As humans, we are so self-centered and we think the world is consistently revolving around us.  I think this caption is a good reminder of how vast God's creation plan is.  We should be humbled that we are part of that plan and that He loves us enough to care about our little problems.
    Romans 1;20  ''For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.''
    If we look to the world for answers, we will be disappointed.  If we look to ourselves for answers, we will be depressed.  If we look above and to Scripture, we will be impressed and find all we need.
   He who hung the stars, also created and put you here.... is there any better Hands to be in and place your burdens in?  No, not one.

It's a God Thing

    Sometimes we can watch the news and it can be so discouraging, that we just shut it off.  Other times tho, we can hear of God's work at hand in a miracle.  The story of Kali Hardig is a definite 'God thing.'
    Who would have thought that swimming in a freshwater pool could have such lethal risks?  Kali got infected with a parasitic amoeba that attacks the brain tissue.  The doctors at ACH gave her an experimental drug that rid her spinal fluid of the amoebas.  She is one of 3 survivors to this bug and continues to make progress every day.
    The Hardig family has also shown a 'God thing' of grace in not speaking maliciously against Willow Springs park.
    God has used Kali to demonstrate His great power in love and healing to so many of us.

1 Wonderful Year

    I can't hardly believe that today marks one year that Karla has been with me as my caregiver.  Other friends have helped make my life better but as far as a consistent, daily blessing Karla has made this the best year since I moved back in 2001.  I'm happy every day she's here and there is absolutely nothing I would change.  The 'R' in Karla must stand for 'remember' because she always knows not only what I like but how I like things.  This is huge when you have to depend on someone else to do things for you.  We are so alike in our thoughts and ways that we have to be more than sisters in Christ in some way.
    They say we should praise God in the hallways of our lives.  I feel that is where I am at but it's lighted ever so brightly.  If I can't be independent nor in heaven yet, then I will dance daily in this wonderful hallway with Karla.
    God's timing was perfect in bringing her here.  Sure I could say I wish it had been 9 years earlier but it's only my selfishness to think I needed Karla more than her previous family.  God knows where we all need to be and when.  I will just cherish this past year and the days to come.
    Karla is love and is loved.  What a blessing!

Trust

    Do you know what God's most frequently used warning in the Bible is?  'Fear not.'  Worry is misplaced fear put into action.  Why do we do it?  It is hard to let go of what we can't control.  Matthew 6; 27  ''Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?''  Worry not only eats at us but takes away our strength and peace.  ''There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.''-- Mahatma Gandhi
   Our fears should be calmed knowing that God works with our best interest always in mind.  He will also finish the good work He began in us.  'I've no cause to worry or to fear.'  Sometimes we know of things destined for the future and we have to choose how to anticipate it.  We can worry until it happens, waste peaceful days and then see God work it out despite your lack of trust in Him.  Or we can lay our burden before Him in prayer, trust in His grace and accept what we never had control over to begin with.
   'Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives.'

T - Take one day at a time.
R - Remember all things work together for the good of those who love God.
U - Under no circumstances should you worry.
S - Start every day with prayer & thanksgiving.
T - The Lord will never forsake you. 

Surrender

    'The world wants our best but God wants our all.'  Yes, He wants us to surrender our will for His.  Surrender is usually associated with negative meanings but in God's eye there can be no greater victory for the soul.
     "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Matthew 16:25   Surrender is complete obedience to God.  One of our best examples is Noah,  who was the only man on earth at the time that pleased God.  Do we trust and obey when we face what we don't understand?  Nobody likes half-hearted effort, including God.
    'One of life's most bittersweet moments is when you finally realize you don't have it all figured out.'  'The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender.'   If we don't surrender to Christ, we will surrender to chaos and idols.
    Hitting rock bottom is one of the toughest moments in people's lives but it can be a surrendering catalyst.  We then realize we've tried everything in our own power and it's never enough.  God allows all this so that we may see our need for a Saviour more clearly.
   
All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Pleasing Who?

   My recent reading poses the question of where our focus is.  'How much pleasure am I getting out of life?  or  How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?'  As believers we should have a mind shifted off of ourselves and onto a life lived with the kingdom in mind.
   We often think that if we just don't do anything really 'bad' then we're not living lives offensive to God.  Is that enough?  No... don't confuse activity with productivity.  Revelation 4;11  ''“You are worthy, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”  Psalms 149;4 ''For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.''
   Our lives are meant for service.  Are your activities rooted with a God driven purpose?  You can plant seeds anywhere and everywhere you go.  I think we should question our activities and the benefits of them.  We shouldn't just drudge thru another day but recognize that this is another day the Lord has made and rejoice in it.  He created us for His pleasure and we should live our lives with that in mind.


'Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.'

The Jewelry Box

    You're probably beginning to think that I have the best friends EVER and you'd be absolutely right!  LOOK at what my friend, Dale, made for me with his own two hands in the woodshop and had shipped to my front door today.  It is a gorgeous jewelry box made out of walnut [I think] with my initial 'A' engraved in the lid and gold layers to accentuate its beauty.  Dale said the box turned out larger than expected but I say that his thoughtfulness couldn't have been contained in anything smaller.  I'm overwhelmed by the time, effort, cost and creative craftsmanship that was meant for little ol' me. Words can't express how blessed I feel but 'Thank you, Dale! I LOVE IT!'

    Psalm 21;6  ''Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.''   This verse describes how I have felt lately with the love of Christ shown thru my dear friends to me.  I'll continue to say it, 'I'm blessed beyond measure.'

Lunch Out

   Yes, I may have my prisoner outfit on but I have been set free from my four walls at home.  I had lunch with Karla and Mica at Santo Coyote today.  We ate two bowls of tableside guacamole...yum.  The picture above was my dish of Dos Cerviches.. tilapia with lime juice.  We had a good time of fellowship together.  It is good to be around believers who talk about God-driven events in their lives, such as feeding the homeless and attending the Beth Moore conference. I love being out among the truly 'living'.
    2 Corinthians 13;14  'May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.'
    We are called as believers to fellowship with one another.  It is one of the best encouragers for our souls there is.  'There's a quiet understanding when we gather in His name.'

It's a God Thing

    I'm having a Paula Deen nightmare moment... 'I'm out of butter!'  There is nothing that you can add to anything that will make things better like butter can.  Real butter, not some margarine or hydrogenated oil mixture.
   Convenience is our God thing that we take for granted.  We complain about 'having to go the store' but do we ever think about our local storehouses not being there?  What if I had to go milk the cow and churn it for hours on end to get my precious butter?  Would I savor it more, use it more sparingly, or appreciate it more?  We are so like Adam and Eve in that paradise wasn't enough, we always want more than we are given.
   May we think of it as if 'I get to go the store' instead of as a chore.  Our needs are being met with full supply and provision.

Joy is Coming

   

    Well some might wonder how one might not be cheer-challenged during long drawn out bouts of illness.  I can tell you the answer lies in where your hope is put, maintained and promised. You can wallow in the sorrow or suffering of today or you can trust the tribulation to be over in His timing.  Joy is coming but we must be patient in affliction.
    I've been sick for 3 weeks now but experienced some joy today in both going to the farmer's market and a visit with a friend.  It may seem small to you but it was a joy booster to me.  Yes, my blessed bounty grew again today with Gloria's blueberry jam and peanut butter cookies.
    Believers should maintain their spirits, despite their circumstances, with the promised hope of our eternal tomorrows.  When we defer our sufferings to part of God's plan then it doesn't seem so grim.

Texas Bounty

     Well Karla is back safely from her trip to Austin and that was more than enough to satisfy me. She brought me back a bounty of blessings in addition to herself.  Fresh cinnamon bread from Collin St. Bakery, an Austin coffee mug from Starbucks and a Hook'em Horns tshirt.
     Psalm 128; 1-2  ''Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.''
     I am blessed with very generous friends in my life and my cup runs over continuously. ''Generosity is a matter of the heart and a way of life. With a focus on others, giving is to be done freely and cheerfully. People with this attitude trust God to meet their needs and are set free to give away even what they long to keep. No matter how little we have, the Lord wants us to be magnanimous people.'' [intouch.org]  Karla often says 'it's all about you friend' and as nice as that would be to indulge in, being generous should be a give and take relationship.

The Cost

      Air is required for us to live so why is it that we just take it for granted?  We feel good and comfortable at 98 percent oxygen saturation in our blood but below 90 we can feel the desperate need for more air.  What if air was a commodity and some people could only afford 80 percent? Well it would be an uglier world because when I choked on my subway sandwich and my oxygen was 65, I was not patient or understanding at any level.
     My 'extra' air now is provided at a cost to me but my true and ultimate supplier is God.  He supplies all our needs when we need them, even if we overlook it with thanklessness.
    Air, gravity, the rising and setting of the sun, and all the forces of nature are just small examples of what He freely gives to us everyday.  Our ultimate free gift is His saving grace which we cannot buy or earn but which only Jesus paid the cost for each of us.  Is your debt paid in full, pending or accumulating?